


The Arrangement

by arianapeterson19



Series: Avengers Shorts [93]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Arranged Marriage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage, Insecure Tony, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 16:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15890172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arianapeterson19/pseuds/arianapeterson19
Summary: Arranged marriages weren't unheard of - they weren't popular but were perfectly legal. Legal didn't mean Tony had a choice.ORThe one where Tony gets married rather young but that's hardly the end of it.





	The Arrangement

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know it says that there's implied underage. I'll warn you if that happens but it truly is just implied at this point and I don't think it will become anything more.

He was wearing his best suit – which was itchy despite being lined with the best silk and the shirt bunched awkwardly at the back of his pants. Tony shifted in front of the judge, a bit nervous but more excited than anything else. He was getting married. He, Tony Stark, was getting married.

Sure, it was arranged and Howard was essentially selling him off, but Tony was still getting married, which he had thought was going to be impossible with how low of a price Howard was willing to pay for him. Yet here he was, the youngest of anyone of his friends, getting married.

Obadiah Stane stood across from him, already having signed the marriage contract with barely a glance. Tony had read the fine print – he loved reading fine print – and committed it to memory, and knew that this marriage was it unless there was documented abuse. And of course Obadiah had the power to divorce Tony for whatever reason he wanted but he would not get a dime of Tony’s potential inheritance if that happened. With a slightly trembling hand, Tony signed his name on the line.

With a small flourish and more camera flashes than could be counted, Tony Stark became a married man.

\- The Arrangement –

“Over and over, again and again, even though we break up in the end.”

The song playing in the background wasn’t entirely appropriate for a wedding reception but Tony tried to focus on making the rounds and speaking with each guest instead of the playlist. His husband – he had a husband! – was more concerned with pursuing investors than talking to guests, so that task fell on Tony, who was more than willing. Tony was an ambivert and loved social interaction equally as much as alone time. Besides, the reception was more for him than his husband – this arranged marriage had forced Tony to give up basically everything he had pictured his wedding day to be, so the reception was a way to keep him happy.

“You look wonderful,” said Tiberius Stone.

“Thanks, Ty,” said Tony, hugging the larger man briefly. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

They talked for a bit before Tony excused himself to socialize some more. He stopped only to have his first dance with his husband. 

The song was “I’ll Be Watching You” – Tony did not pick it – and Obadiah paraded Tony to the dance floor to the cheers of the crowd.

“You look nice,” said Obadiah, smiling down at his young husband.

Tony blushed. He was fourteen, almost fifteen, and Obadiah was thirty-seven years older than him. It wasn’t love, Tony knew it wasn’t love, but Obadiah was handsome and had been kind (if distant), and Tony knew that he would never get a better offer. Obadiah would allow him to continue at MIT and live in an apartment near campus. Howard had made it publically clear that he would not be giving a high price for his son (publically the reason was to dissuade money seekers but privately it was because he had already worked out a deal with his business partner when Tony was still a toddler), so Tony knew he wouldn’t be getting many – if any – good offers as the years continued. So it wasn’t love, but Tony hoped they could be happy together.

“Thank you,” said Tony, his voice soft and breathy. “You – you look – um, you look good too. As well. You look amazing.”

Obadiah chuckled, his laugh like a forest fire, burning, intense, popping, and hard to bare but impossible to ignore. However, Tony didn’t have a lot of experience with forest fires, so he could have been mistaken. Either way, it warmed him up and made him sweat slightly.

“It is adorable how you have never lost your stutter when you are nervous,” commented Obadiah with that smile that hinted at condescension. “Perhaps tonight I shall see more of it.”

Tony practically squeaked in mortification.

“We are in public,” hissed Tony. “You can’t – you shouldn’t – I mean –“

“Hush, child,” said Obadiah. “Everything will be fine.”

Tony took a deep breath and nodded to himself. It was going to be fine. He had read the fine print. While it wasn’t legal to get married at 14 of his own free will, it was perfectly legal if his parents consented to it. However, in the fine print of the contract, it stated that there would be no sexual aspect to this marriage before Tony was sixteen, which regardless of marital status, was still the age of consent. So Obadiah must have been joking when he implied that they – the he would –

“Thank you for the dance, Tony,” said Obadiah, bowing as the song ended. “I shall see you in two hours for the formal send off.”

Then he was gone. Tony wobbled slightly at the sudden departure, but then James Rhodes was at his side, pulling him off the side for drinks while others swarmed the dance floor.

“I can’t believe you went through with this,” sighed Rhodey, shaking his head and sipping his own pink lemonade. 

“I had to,” said Tony before he could stop himself. Tony gasped, shocked and instantly looking around to see if anyone had heard him.

“Relax,” said Rhodey, easily throwing and arm around his younger friend. “No one is looking at us. They are all occupied with Howard and Maria waltzing on the floor.”

“I’m happy with the marriage,” said Tony stiffly.

“No, you’re really not, but I do acknowledge that now isn’t the time. But promise me, Tony, if he does anything, anything at all, you’ll tell me. Please, Tony. I really hate this. You’re not even fifteen, this should be legal. It’s not right.”

“It’s an arranged marriage,” said Tony with a shrug.

“It’s a form of slavery,” snapped Rhodey. “He actually bought you. Worse, your father paid him to marry you. Howard paid him to take you off his hands.”

“Rhodey,” whispered Tony, tears glistening in his eyes.

Rhodey paused. After several deep breathes, he smiled down at the kid who had been his roommate for the first semester of MIT. Rhodey was only 17 himself but he knew that this was a bad idea and couldn’t understand how no one else was saying anything. But harping on about it right now would solve nothing. He would just have to be sure to keep a close eye on Tony. The kid was moving into an apartment – Obadiah would rarely be there – so Rhodey would just find every excuse to be over with him. This wasn’t a good idea. It really was not a good idea.

“Alright, kiddo, let’s get something real to drink,” said Rhodey, thinking about the open bar across the way that neither of them were old enough to access (even though this was Tony’s wedding reception).

“Like coffee?” said Tony eagerly.

“Yeah, Tones, like coffee,” said Rhodey with a small laugh, hoping that innocence would never leave.

**Author's Note:**

> Coping like a champ over here - aka I'm super sad so it's going to get worse before it gets better.
> 
> Also, who should the endgame relationship be? (Cuz it's not staying with Obadiah)
> 
> Always,  
> Ari


End file.
